The Iluskan Valley
The Iluskan Valley is an idyllic river basin in the Wild North, resting between the Iron Range and the Mistbreak Mountains. The slow moving Adena River curves through the basin, bordered on the west by the mysterious Finhorn Forest. There are several locations of note in the region. Geographic Features The Iluskan Valley is a fertile basin intersected by the meandering Adena River. In prehistoric times, the entire valley was covered in a vast primordial forest, that still exists in some form today. To the west is the Iron Range, and to the east are the Mistbreak Mountains which form the lower bound of the valley. At the mouth of the valley is a large natural harbour formed by a narrow peninsula known locally as the Embrace. The harbour is dotted with small pine covered isles. Approximately twenty miles inland is Long Lake which stretches 80 miles in length and is 30 miles across at its widest. The western banks of the lake are heavily forested, with the north-western section being particularly wild. This wood is known as Finhorn Forest. An uncharted tributary called Taerul’s Creek winds through the woods and spills into the lake. The Adena river continues from the northern-most end of Long Lake. Beyond Finhorn Forest the land rises into the untamed northern Wilderlands. Settlements * Oldstone * Ravens Keep * Phandalin * Conyberry * Leilion Notable Locations * Ruins of Thundertree * Wyvern Tor * Mere of Dead Men * Old Owl Well * Finhorn Forest * Long Lake * Godless Isle * Cragmaw Keep History Prehistoric Archaeological finds suggest that the Iluskan Valley has been inhabited for at least 120,000 years, and likely much longer. The first beings to exist in the valley were a primitive race of Wood Elves (known as the Wood Walkers) and Halflings (known as the Children of the Forest). They lived separately but in symbiosis. A race of orcs and goblins also inhabited the Iron Hills in the south but rarely entered the forest, fearing the strange, hostile creatures that stalked within. At this time, the boundaries between the Feywild and the Material Plane were much more blurred than they are now, and the region was abound with wild magic. Arrival of the Iluskans Approximately 6000 years BD, the Iluskans arrived from the south and began to inhabit the region. They were led by a legendary figure known as Garth the Seer. They immediately they came into conflict with the native orcs, who were consequently nearly wiped out as the invading force pushed them into the woods, and the arrows of the elves and halflings. For a period of time thereafter the humans, elves and halflings coexisted peacefully, but as more Iluskans arrived from the east and their settlements grew so too did their need for wood and game. As they expanded into the realms of the woodland creatures the frequency of antagonistic interactions increased until eventually they were in all-out war. The Wood Walkers, Children of the Forest and Iluskans fought one another to a standstill, with much loss of life in the intervening years. It is believed that Long Lake was created as a result of woodland spellcasters bringing a great flood down from the mountains to sweep away a large Iluskan force. Eventually, the three factions signed a pact on the Godless Isle that granted the open lands to the Iluskans and the deep forests to the Elves and Halflings. An uneasy peace lasted for the next 2000 years during which time the three cultures began to integrate slightly – especially the halflings and Iluskans. A number of large towns sprang up throughout the valley, the ruins of which can still be seen today, and the Iluskans began mining many of the precious metals that could be found in the Iron Hills. The Scourge In 845BD a scourge descended upon the Iluskan Valley in the form of Uthrak the Bold, a ruthless orc chieftain who lead a united army of Orcish tribes into the valley to reclaim what they saw as their ancestral lands. The fighting was savage and devastating. For the first time, the Iluskans, Wood Walkers and Children of the Forest worked together to defeat an external force. By the time the orcish forces were overcome however, many Iluskan towns were razed to the ground and their population severely diminished. The Wood Elves shared a similar fate, and after the deciding battle at Wyvern Tor they retreated to their hidden homes deep in the forest. The Sindarin Dynasty The subsequent years are collectively known as The Mourning, as the three races struggled to recover from the devastating war. To add to their woes, in 792BD the Sindarin Dynasty, who are said to have ridden dragons into battle, finally reached the Iluskan Valley. The resistance was short-lived and the region soon fell under dynastic control. The invading force also brought with them The Faith, which remains to this day. The Sindarin Dynasty wasted no time building infrastructure to strip valuable resources from the vale to power their hungering war machines. There are stories from this time which tell of a mysterious discovery; a cave dense with magic that was transformed into something known as the Forge of Spells. However, any remnant of the mythical location has since been lost to time. During these years Finhorn Forest was extensively felled, all but disappearing from the southern coast. It was at this time that the legendary elven hero Finhorn, for whom the forest is now named, rose up against the dragon riding oppressors. Using his magical longbow, Yew Heart, he slew a dragon as it flew over the woods, causing it to crash down into the depths misty timberland, where it is rumoured to still lie. Return to Wild The Sindarin Dynasty maintained control over the valley until The Divergence, after which the empire crumbled and the Iluskan Valley grew wild once more. Although some Iluskans, Elves, and Halflings remained, it took many years for the valley to be properly settled again. However, now in the year 1422AD a few bustling settler communities have sprung up, and a new nation is beginning to form. Travel Distances Travel time is dependant on two factors; the terrain and your speed. * Fast travel = 30 miles in a day (-5 to perception checks) * Normal travel = 25 miles in a day * Slow travel = 20 miles in a day (can use stealth) Difficult terrain such as swamps and mountains effectively halves your travel speed. Vehicles and mounts can be used to increase travel speed in some instances.